LEGO Icons 10365 Captain Jack Sparrow’s Pirate Ship – A shiny Black Pearl [Review]

It’s been 22 years since Johnny Depp donned dreadlocks and eyeliner and put on his best Keith Richards impression and sailed into cinematic record books with the blockbuster Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl. If you thought that name was clunky, hold LEGO’s grog.  Icons 10365 Captain Jack Sparrow’s Pirate Ship brings back the Black Pearl, last seen in brick in 2011, as a premium display set. Is it worth every piece of eight to add this set to your LEGO fleet? Guest reviewer Jacob Manahan got a chance to dig up this treasured ship early and is here with our review.

LEGO Icons 10365 Captain Jack Sparrow’s Pirate Ship | 2862 Pieces | Available September 12 to Insiders (Sept 15 to all)  |US $379.99 | CAN $449.99 | UK £299.99

The Build

Lego ICONS’ 10365 “Captain Jack Sparrow’s Pirate Ship” arrives with a statement, in a jet-black box with a grand view of the Black Pearl in all its sea-fairing glory. The Disney connection is downplayed, and instead we see Jack Sparrow’s signature.

I was pleasantly surprised to find all paper packaging for this set, a long-promised roll-out that has been taking its  time. The set features a single instruction book, which begins with a brief ode to the characters from the 2003 film who appear in minifigure form, as well as a small note from the design team. The team makes sure to mention that this model was built to be “roughly” minifigure scale, which is a fair way to describe the interesting scale of this undeniably impressive ship. More thoughts on this to come!

This set takes no time in letting the builder know what they’re in for. Unlike many sets of this size, the Black Pearl (which I will refer to it as for the remainder of the review, that IS the ship’s proper name!) is not remotely modular. Aside from a “foot” that the body of the ship rests on, and a small compartment near the ship’s rear that can be lifted off, the entire set is built in one solid mass.

But before we can arrive at the main event, we are greeted with a small rowboat, the titular Captain Jack, and a few small props. This is the only “mini build” of this set and, like LEGO rowboats going back to the original 80s sets, involved just adding seats to a molded part. Not much assembly required!

Construction of the ship proper starts by combining some welcomely included large molded hull pieces that act as a cornerstone for the rest of the ship. Choosing to include these larger molded pieces, the Black Pearl sets itself apart from sets like 31109 “Pirate Ship” or the recent One Piece Going Merry, which have entirely brick built hull. I think the design team made the right choice. Right away, there is a sense of accomplishment with this build, as all the large segments are fitted together.

This choice also makes the next section of the build, which uses a blend of system and technic parts, much more approachable for those less experienced with technic gears. Very quickly, the groundwork is laid out for the rest of the build process, and we begin to see the Black Pearl take shape.

Before moving on to the cannons, we hide a small treasure chest in the belly, a good pirate always has some hidden treasure!

The mechanism we begin to build and incorporate after the “footprint” is used to release the Black Pearl’s cannons. This feature is simple, and yet SO effective! (I found myself playing with it repeatedly throughout the assembly of the set). This is one of only two play features, but it works tremendously well.

As a fun call back to the previous Pirates of the Caribbean sets, the individual canons are based on the design used in the 2017 Silent Mary (set 71042).

In total, an impressive 16 cannons line port and starboard. As the canons are all constructed the same way, some builders may find this step a little boring, but I personally enjoyed filling out the gun deck.

With the lower deck out of the way, we move on to the more visible section oof the build. From here on out, the built becomes more straight forward, mostly working with System parts and lots of simple brick stacking.

There’s not too much in the way of SNOT building compared to many other recent 18+ sets, and only a few more Technic elements. Along with the stand, we add an extended hull that connects to the flat bottom molded pieces. This allows you to display the boat in drydock mode like the Endurance, or at water level like a classic playset ship.

The final steps consisted of covering the deck and attaching the masts and sails. Most of the parts used were larger, so we return to a pace that harkens back to the beginning of this set. The fabric elements included are wonderful, in total four distinct cuts of fabric, plus the flag, which are used in repetition for the many sails. These are attached very securely, and I personally had no problems with stability or structural integrity with them.

Overall, a strong build. Straightforward and relaxing, but even if it isn’t the most complex build, nothing here feels lackluster or disappointing. This is classic LEGO building at its best.

The Finished Model

If you’re worried that the relatively simple construction means compromising on looks, don’t be. This is a gorgeous ship.

One personal highlight of the build was seeing the incorporation of a working rudder. A small gear box attaches under the ship’s steering wheel, which allows the builder to turn the wheel and move the rudder left and right. This marks the second and final “play feature” that the Black Pearl offers. Even though two play features isn’t a lot for a set of this size, they really set this apart from some display models of late that have skimped on any functionality.

Another fun portion of the build was the Captain’s quarters, which lays out the room where Elizabeth engages in “parlay” with the frightening Captain Barbossa. This is the only interior section of the set, and features some small easter eggs, like Captain Barbossa’s apple.

This interior is covered up by a beautifully constructed stern. This was another highlight of the set for me, the ornamentation here is immensely detailed, and really shows the love that went into designing this incredible set. I found that the décor around the windows, and the large lanterns especially nice!

The Minifigs

Here is where the set might begin to receive some criticism. The Black Pearl features eight minifigures (nine, if one were to include the angelic figurehead).

This is not necessarily a bad number, I’d even say it’s a decent number! However, right away some of the choices for minifigures seems odd.

We see some obvious choices: Jack Sparrow and Barbossa, the two men to claim the ship as captain.

And of course Will, and Elizabeth. These four inclusions are a must for a set like this.

Gibbs and Anamaria are also welcome inclusions as featured members of the crew. Some who purchase the set may fail to remember that this set is SPECIFICALLY based off the 2003 film, in which Anamaria plays a fairly prominent role, even if she doesn’t appear in the rest of the series. Personally, I was thrilled to see her included.

The next two figures, though, are a bit of a head scratcher: Cotton and Marty. These two are strange to see, when the much more prominent and well-remembered characters Pintel and Ragetti could have been included. Also missing are Governor Swann and Norrington, who both play very important roles in the film. If only eight figures were to be included, it is my belief that one of these pairs should have appeared instead of Cotton and Marty, but really, for a set this size, these characters should have been included in addition to the existing eight. Some might say that sets like 10316 “Rivendell” have spoiled buyers with an excess of minifigures, but for such a beloved IP (and such an expensive set) it really is a shame to see LEGO not including some very beloved characters.

As for the quality of the minifigures, Jack and Barbossa are the clear standouts. Jack has some lovely dual-molded legs, which feature fantastically detailed printing. His face print is leagues better than those used on previous Jack Sparrow minifigures, and he has a much more accurate skin tone in this iteration. Barbossa features a phenomenal new hair/hat piece, which makes the character leagues more recognizable than the older versions that only had a hat. Lego interestingly chose to use PDG instead of black for Barbossa, but this does help the figure to stand out very well against the predominantly black bricks used in the set. Elizabeth also looks fantastic, with a beautiful looking dress, and a wonderfully detailed gold coin as her prop.

Unfortunately, this same level of praise cannot be given to the rest of the included figures. To again bring up 10316 “Rivendell”, that set featured a whopping FIFTEEN minifigures (21 if you included the statues), and twelve of these included either dual molded legs, printed legs, or both! It’s unfortunate to see the lack of detailed prints on all but the torsos of these remaining minifigures included in the Black Pearl. Big boots are so characteristic of pirates, and yet five of these eight minifigures feature completely unmarked legs, which is a pretty big disappointment, especially when coupled with the fact that certain beloved characters were not included.

As a positive, each figure included does feature very detailed 180 degree torso printing. These prints appear incredibly accurate to the source material, and each figure is very clearly recognizable. The inclusion of skintone variety from the typically used Light Nougat is also very great to see! Overall, I’d say the figures would be a welcome addition for any minifigure collector, despite some lackluster qualities in a few of the figures.

Final Thoughts

Captain Jack Sparrow’s Pirate Ship The Black Pearl was a Joy to build! The quality of this set is seen in the sheer magnitude of its size, which is almost minifig scale. Certain details are clearly downsized for practicality of display, but this ship really is a thing to behold. It dwarfs another recent famous boat-from-film, the famous “Orca” from the film Jaws (this model looks so tiny in comparison!). The impressive scale is also met with an equally impressive amount of detail, seen in sections like the stern, the subtle angles and shaping, and the rigging.

The model looks great from a distance and holds up equally well under scrutiny. I was worried that the Black Pearl would be a bit boring, considering the amount of black used on the surface area of the set, instead, this ended up being a highlight! The angles and curves bring out deep shadows that make the ship truly intimidating. It is one of the scarier looking sets I’ve seen!

 Some might criticize the lack of play features, sparse interior, and minifig quality, but it more than makes up for it with the display presence. The only only asterisk I would add to my recommendation is the $380 price point. LEGO 18+ display sets aren’t cheap, and I definitely can’t collect as many as I’d like to. That said, for me, the majesty of the model and satisfying build make this set one I can recommend to any LEGO enthusiast, whether they’re a Pirates of the Caribbean fan or not. Wait for a sale if you have to, but don’t sleep on this one.

If you enjoyed my review, you can also see me talk about the set on YouTube.

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